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(No Model.)

J. R. LITTLE. 7 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING METAL WHEELS.

Patented Aug. 20, 1889 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES R. LITTLE, OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE QUINCY METALIVIIEEL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING METAL WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,474, dated August20, 1889.

Application filed April 24, 1889- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known, that I, JAMES R. LITTLE, of Quincy, in the county of Adams,and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain newand usefulImprovements in the Method of Manufacturing Metal IVheels; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a wheel constructed inaccordance with my improved method. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevationof a spoke and a longitudinal section of the hub as cast thereon, andshows the dies and mandrel employed for enlarging said spoke within itsmortise. Fig. 3 is a like view of the same after the enlarging operationhas been effected; and Fig. l is a cross-section of the hub and alongitudinal section of some of the spoke-tenons, showing the form oftenon preferably used and modifications in the form of such tenon.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The design of myinventionis to enable the spokes and hub of a metalwheel to be easily, cheaply, and firmly united; and to this end my saidinvention consists in the method employed, substantially as and for thepurpose hereinafter specified.

In the carrying of my invention in to practize I combine a cast-metalwheel-hub A and wrought or malleable metal spokes l3 and B by castingthe former upon the ends of the latter, care being had that the spokesare properly centered within the radial equidistant bosses to and a,that are provided for their reception.

The spokes are preferably arranged so thattheir inner ends or tenons l)and I) do not extend quite into the axial opening a of the hub A, andsaid tenons are preferably plain and straight; but, if desired, thelatter may terminate at or within said opening, and each may, ifdesired, be provided with a peripheral enlargement, as shown in Fig. 4:.\Vheu the hub and spokes are thus united by casting the former upon thelatter, some of the joints are firm and apparently strong, while others50 are loose, and by use will constantly become worse, until the wheelis worthless, there being no certainty as to the production of a closejoint by such method. To remedy such defects, I place the hub A upon aproperly- Serial No. 308,377- (No model.)

supported mandrel C, preferably arranged horizontally, and by means of apair of clamping-jaws D and D successively grasp each spoke B at a pointa short distance from where it enters its boss at, and by a movement ofsaid jaws and mandrel toward each other, or of 6c either of said partstoward the other, compress longitudinally and expand laterally thatportion of the spoke which is between until it is caused to firmly andentirely fill the mortise and to have an increased diameter immediatelyoutside of the same. The method employed secures such intimate andforcible contact between the tenon and mortise as to practically uniteor weld their contiguous surfaces, and no amount of ordinary use of thewheel will destroy or impair the joints so constructed, while by castingthe hub upon the spokes a material saving in expense is effected overwhat would be involved by the drilling of the mortises and the insertionand subse quent enlargement therein of the spoketenons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The method ofuniting the hub and spokes of a metal wheel, which consists in castingthe hub upon the inner ends of the spokes and afterward enlarging eachof the latter within the former, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

2. The method of uniting the hub and spokes of a metal wheel, whichconsists in casting the hub upon and around. the inner ends or tcnons ofthe spokes, and then by longitudinal compression enlarging such tenonswithin their mortises, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. The method of uniting the hub and spokes of a metal'wheel, whichconsists in casting the hub upon and around the inner 5 ends of thespokes, and then by the longitudinal compression of the inner port-ionof said spoke expanding the same within and immediately outside of saidhub, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this19th day of April, 1885).

JAMES R. LITTLE.

\Vitnesses:

P. B. WILLIAMs. J. O. GLENN.

